Dianne Kay Halfen

Age 74 of Forest Lake. Loving Wife, Mom, Grandma & Sister, passed away peacefully on March 27, 2025. Preceded in death by son, Jeremy; parents, Louis & Irene Ivanca. Survived by loving husband, Chuck; children, Stephanie, Zachary (Mackenzie); grandchildren, Kayla, Penelope, Everly; siblings, Robert (Therese) Ivanca, Patti (Edward) Zakrzewski; nieces, nephews, other relatives & friends. Dianne was born in Hibbing Minnesota in 1950 to Irene and Louis Ivanca. Oldest of three children raised in the mining community of Chisholm. She was a graduate of Chisholm high school, and received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from St Cloud State College. She started her career at a foundry on the iron range as an office worker and migrated to bookkeeping. Moved to Minneapolis in 1986 working as the finance officer at a couple of companies and finished her career out as CFO at Industrial Fabrics Corporation, part of the international fabric manufacturer, in Brooklyn Park. Her job required a significant amount of travel which she loved, always ready for a new adventure. She married Chuck Halfen in 1993 and inherited two step children, Jeremy and Stephanie, and in 1994 was blessed with one of her own, Zachary. In the years to follow three granddaughters have been added to the count, Kayla, Penelope, and Everly. Dianne loved to travel made multiple trips to Europe on company business, and went on numerous cruises, to Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, Caribbean, South America, Panama Canal,... combined these with road trips throughout the US, but her fortress of solitude was a cabin on Crane Lake in northern Minnesota. Many weekends every summer were spent at the cabin, often filled with friends and relatives and of course the kids. Water sports, island hopping, fishing, and hunting were always on the menu and sometimes just sitting quietly at the end of the dock. If nothing else Dianne was involved. She was the den mother, a soccer coach, family or friend event organizer/planner, mentor for troubled youth and could still pull off a surprise party or two. After retirement she joined the local cable commission for ten years, was on the church counsel and continued with her joys in life of spouse, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Over her life she had many health challenges starting with melanoma in 1988, followed by heart and lung issues in her later years, these problems were eventually what took her from us. Leaving her husband of 32 years, children, grandchildren, siblings, relatives, and friends without her welcome smile, love, and companionship. Visitation 2-5 PM Sunday, April 6th at Roberts Family Funeral Home, Forest Lake. Dianne’s life will be celebrated with a service at 11 AM Monday, April 7th with visitation beginning at 10 AM at Hosanna Lutheran Church, Forest Lake. Interment at South Green Lake Cemetery, Chisago City. Memorials preferred to Hosanna Lutheran Church.